I recently acquired an old Grizzly G1023 cabinet saw that was manufactured in the 80’s. I’ve been going through the machine and it’s in surprisingly good condition for what it is. Since I had it torn down I have replaced the arbor bearings. I also believe the magnetic switch is faulty and will replace it with a paddle switch, I had a Powermatic Artisan saw mdl 63 and never had an issue with the basic switch and had a Jet 10XL and never saw any benefit in it’s magnetic switch. If the saw stops I simply turn it off, reset the breaker and restart. A magnetic switch may have industrial applications but in my situation, running a small shop it’s not worth the added expense. Next in line is replacing a bad start capacitor. One of the previous owners of this saw had attempted to do the job and lost the capacitor cover in the process so he used a piece of strapping to attach it to the motor. He used a Philips replacement and the label is indecipherable from the rubbing of the strap on the unit. How’d that work out for him? Not to good. The capacitor is fried or underpowered and I need a new one. Since the cover is gone so are the specs on the cap that would be located inside it. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area? I need to know what VAC and MFD ratings are commonly required for a single phase 3 HP motor. I’ve spent hours online to no avail and am leery about trusting some pimply faced kid working the counter at Joe Blows parts store. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

7 replies so far

The voltage is more critical than the actual capacitance, as many are specked at +/-20%. It should be at least 250v. Your best bet is to call Griz Tech Service and ask the correct value, then source the cap from wherever makes the most sense to you….caps are fairly cheap…maybe $10.

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You should call Griz anyway and ask about replacing the lost cover…so killing 2 birds with one stone is a good idea. An alteranative for the cover might be a motor shop…they may have a reclaimed one that works.

I’d call Grizz for the start cap and a new cover. The start cap I got from Grainger was the right power rating but didn’t fit under my cover. The one I got from Grizz not only fit perfectly, but cost less than half the Grainger one.

I have been holding out on ordering the parts from Grizzly. I’d hoped to use American made components instead of the original equipment. However I am finding that little of what is sold here is of US origin. The bearings I purchased from a local supply house were made in Argentina under the SKF brand name. But since Argentina is the home of Bersa and I’ve had good experience with the quality of their firearms I suppose I can trust them to make a bearing. I checked the Grizz site and they have the capacitor cover as well and the price is right on both. Thanks for the input guys. God bless.

I have replaced the bearings in the arbor and the motor, it’s not difficult just took my time and didn’t force things. What a difference, this saw is purring now instead of growling. The capacitor was not the issue with the saw not starting. It also wouldn’t run when I released the on switch and I was on the verge of buying a new magnetic starter. The previous owner had installed a 50’ cord because he had no 220 in his garage, when I was checking the chord for damage I discovered that it was 14 gauge instead of the recommended 12. I replaced it with a 10 gauge chord of the proper length. This should eliminate the overheating which was tripping the magnetic starter. I’ll finish wiring my new shop tomorrow and post a follow-up. Never take it for granted that the other guy knows what he is doing when purchasing used equipment. Start troubleshooting the simplest items first, it can save you a lot of money.